


Once Upon A Time

by HollyEDolly



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: F/M, bedtime story, fairy tale
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-03
Updated: 2014-03-03
Packaged: 2018-01-14 11:10:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,372
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1264177
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HollyEDolly/pseuds/HollyEDolly
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Grant Ward wakes his daughter after checking on her on his return from his mission. He needs to get her back to sleep before Skye realises that he's woken her up. Ellie insists that daddy makes up a story for her or she will not go back to bed. A cute little one shot for Skye/Ward set in the future.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Once Upon A Time

**Author's Note:**

> So this is a little idea that’s been kicking around my head for the last few days. The story was inspired by an episode of Scrubs in which Perry tells his son a bedtime story about a case he worked at Sacred Heart.

It’s just after 8pm when he comes through the door of his home; he’s shattered it’s been a long day. Balancing his work as an agent with a family has been a learning curve but he’d like to think he’s getting better at it. Their home is modern but cosy and warm just like his beautiful wife. She’s sat where she always is when he comes home late, lounging on the couch her laptop propped on her knees and a glass of rose in her hand. He’s not sure who’s had the harder day when he looks at her Skye is an amazing mom, he never doubted her in that, she’d always been great with kids. She looks up from whatever she’s working on, they’d both been shocked when it turned out she could still work for S.H.I.E.L.D from home. They’d both agreed that one of them should give up field work having two parents in the field was never a good idea. As talented as they both were there was no way to guarantee that they would not be injured on a mission. In the end it has been Skye that had taken on a different but no less important role. Reasoning that she could hack and crack code anywhere even with a toddler hanging off her leg.

“Is she asleep?” he asks.

“Yeah” she nods; setting her glass and laptop aside she gets up and walks over to him. Wrapping her arms around him she burrows her head into his chest, he enfolds her in a warm hug kissing her gently on the top of her head. “She tried to wait up, but she passed out about an hour ago” she sighs contently. It doesn’t matter how many missions he’s been on or how many years they’ve been together she still worries about him.

“I’ll just go check on her” he murmurs.

“Don’t wake her OK” she warns all parents know you never wake a sleeping toddler.

“I won’t wake her” he promises.

As quietly as he can he climbs the stairs to the second floor, her door is propped open a crack he pushes it open slowly. Ellie Ward is the image of her mother she’s tangled up in her bed covers; her bed itself is crammed with stuffed animals and books. Her dark curls are fanned out over her pillow and he smiles as he takes in the peaceful rise and fall of her chest. She’s just turned four he remembers her birthday party and has to stifle a laugh; you’ve never seen such a mixed bag of people in one room. All of Ellie and Skye’s friends from preschool grouped in with their old team, Hill and even Fury himself made an appearance. All because Ellie had insisted he was invited to her princess tea party, Skye mostly worked from home but on occasion she had, had to venture to HQ with Ellie in tow. As it turned out there was no room that could hold his daughter if she didn’t want to be there. On one of the occasions she had escaped from S.H.I.E.L.D.S daycare centre she had managed to wander into Nick Fury’s office. Ever since then she had loved him like a Grandpa at least as much as she loved Grandpa AC. Watching Fury sit amongst over excited toddlers and their incredibly normal parents was not something he would easily forget. To his credit he had not fallen asleep when Dave, Poppy’s dad had chewed off his ear about his work in insurance.

He crept into the room to give her a quick kiss and then his foot found that one creaky floor board and that was it. Ellie sprang up in bed wide awake, how did she do that? “DADDY!!” she shrieked. Oh crap he was going to be in so much trouble.

“Shhhh” he put his finger to his lips. Ok he could do this he’d put her back to bed and Skye would never know “Hi Princess, you should be asleep” he chastised her gently.

“But I’m not tired” she replied earnestly.

He shook his head “You must be you were just asleep” he pointed out but Ellie was having none of it.

“I’m not tired anymore” she tried again. Arguing with toddlers is one of the hardest skills to master harder than any form of combat he’d ever had to learn.

“OK what is going to take for you to go back to sleep?” he sighed

“A story” she clapped, she’d definitely inherited his love of reading.

He nodded a story he could do “OK then which book?”

She shakes her head “I don’t want a book, I want a different story” she demands.

“You want me to make one up?” he smiles indulgently as she nods her head enthusiastically. “OK” he agrees he climbs into her little bed and tucks her into his side.

“So how do all the best stories start” he asks her.

“That’s easy daddy all the best stories start once upon a time...” she sounds so much like her mom some times.

“Alright then once upon a time, in a land not too far from here there was an enchanted kingdom called Shield Town and Shield Town was ruled by the wise King Phil and his beautiful but slightly scary Queen Melinda. Now they lived in a big stone castle with their beautiful and enchanting daughter Princess Skye. For many years Shield Town was peaceful and calm the people were happy in their kingdom. But that all changed when the Princess turned 21. In Shield Town when princesses reached their 21st birthday they had to marry. Princes came from far and wide to win the princesses hand in marriages, they competed in great tournaments to try and impress the beautiful lady, But Princess Skye did not want to marry any of them they were rude and they were silly and she did not like them at all.

Then one day a Prince came from the furthest and darkest kingdom to try and win the Princess for himself. He was very rich and handsome, he was brave and he was charming but he was also greedy and cruel. He only wanted to marry the Princess because she was the most beautiful in the land and to steal her kingdoms treasure. You see Shield Town had a very special and precious jewel, it was enchanted and it could grant whoever possessed it whatever their heart desired. In his wisdom King Phil decided to lock it away so that it would never fall into the wrong hands. But you can’t stop rumours and so the princes father the dark king had sent him to do whatever he had to, to claim the kingdoms treasure. He tried twice as hard as the others to win her love but the beautiful Princess could not be fooled because she could see where others could not that his heart was full of wickedness.

Prince Quinn was angry with the Princess; he knew that his father would punish him if he failed and so he hatched an evil plan to capture the gem. The next day he invited the Princess to take a walk with him, as they walked through the palace gardens he waited until her back was turned. He drew his bow and pulled from his quiver a poisoned arrow before the Princess could even cry for help he shot her through the heart. The arrow had been enchanted with dark magic and when later the princess was found and the arrow pulled from her body her wound heeled quickly but the princess did not wake. She had fallen into a deep magical sleep and although the King and Queen had sent for the most talented wizard and witch in the kingdom there was only one thing that could save the princess. The wishing gem held the only magic strong enough to save the Princess” he looked down at Ellie she was snuggled up next to him still wide awake.

“Did they get the gem daddy?” she piped up.

“Well it wasn’t that easy the King had hidden it away in a cave at the furthest edge of the dark forest, only the bravest hero’s would venture there because it was guarded by a fierce dragon. The King and Queen called all of their bravest knights to the castle, asking each of them in turn if they would take the quest and save the Princess. All but one of the knights said no they were too afraid of the dragon that guarded the stone. Only the bravest and most handsome knight in the kingdom dared to take the quest, he was also deeply in love with the Princess and would do anything to save her. The King and Queen gave Sir Grant their blessing, only two others volunteered to go with him Princess Skye’s closest friend and lady in waiting Lady Jemma Simmons and the king’s best alchemist Master Leo Fitz. They took three of the kingdoms best horses and set off that day, they rode for many hours not stopping to rest for fear they would be too late to save the Princess if they did.

When they reached the dark forest they could see why the others had refused the quest, it was a frightening place full of vicious beasts. Luckily Sir Grant was rather handy with a sword and Lady Jemma and Master Fitz were excellent at mixing some very useful potions. They slayed every nasty beast that crossed their path and eventually they reached the cave, it went deep underground. Master Fitz made them some fire torches so that they could find their way. Sir Grant took a deep breath before he entered the dark, damp cave. They followed the winding tunnel down until it opened out into a large cavern; they made sure to be very quiet. The dragon was fast asleep, he was enormous and his body was covered in green scales. Sir Grant left Lady Jemma and Master Fitz by the entrance of the cavern; he tiptoed carefully towards the pedestal the gem stood on. Next to the princess it was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen, a ruby the size of an orange his kingdoms most precious treasure. Just as he reached out to take it, the dragon opened one big orange eye. Sir Grant stood very still but it was no good dragon had seen him; it stood up on its hind legs and let out an almighty roar! The brave knight drew his sword ready to battle the vicious creature. But whilst they had been waiting for Sir Grant to reach the stone Lady Jemma and Master Fitz had been concocting a sleeping potion just in case, the dragon after all was only doing his job. Lady Jemma was swift and true she bravely blew the sleep dust into the dragons face”

“But daddy how could Lady Jemma reach the dragon if he was so tall?” Ellie complained while trying to stifle a yawn.

“Er...well...she was magic” he stammered. Ellie was not convinced by that but she let him continue on “Ok so where was I? Oh yes Lady Jemma blew the magic dust into the dragons face and he fell asleep instantly. Sir Grant quickly grabbed the Gem and they rushed from the cave back to their waiting horses. They rode with great speed back to Shield Town praying that they would arrive in time to save the princess; they rode through the night and arrived back at the castle in the early morning. The King and Queen received Sir Grant immediately but they were not alone the evil Prince Quinn was with them, no-one knew it was he that had shot the princess with the enchanted arrow. When Sir Grant handed the wishing gem to the King, the evil prince Quinn tried to grab it but the Queen seeing what he was trying to do picked up a large candelabra and wacked him around the head. The evil Prince Quinn was taken straight to the dungeons by the Kings most loyal guards. The King, the Queen, Sir Grant, Lady Jemma and Master Fitz rushed to the Princess’s bedside with the ruby. The King and Queen joined their hands over the magical ruby and wished with all their might for the Princess to return to them but it didn’t seem to work.

Master Fitz checked his book on the matter and realised that it had to be the person who loved her most that wished for her return. Knowing how Sir Grant felt about her daughter Queen Melinda handed him the ruby. He cupped it tightly in his hands and wished with all his heart for the princess to wake. Slowly her eyes began to flutter and much to the relief of everyone she woke from her enchanted sleep. The whole kingdom rejoiced to have their Princess back” he looked down to see that Ellie had finally fallen asleep, she was snoring softly he stroked her hair gently before tucking her in and kissing her goodnight.

He wondered just how long he’d been talking to himself as he quietly padded out of the room, as he made to close the door he noticed that Skye was sat on the floor her back to the wall, a knowing smile on her lips.

“Yeah I woke her up” he said apologetically.

“I can see that” she narrowed her eyes but her tone was light she wasn’t really mad.

“So what happened to the princess?” he pulled her to her feet and wrapped his arms around her waist as she snaked hers around his neck.

“Well Sir Grant tried very, very hard to win the princesses heart. Not too long after they were married in front of everyone they loved, they went on to have a beautiful daughter of their own and lived happily ever after” he smiled down at her and she beamed back at him.

“Yes they did” she pressed her lips to his in a soft kiss. “Come on brave Sir Grant lets go downstairs”.


End file.
